Patrick Scannell
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Posts
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Posts posted by Patrick Scannell
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Are you familiar with or currently play any Irish trad?
Not so much yet. Just beginning to explore the terrain and test the waters.
Thanks.
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you may want to convert your ABC to MIDI first; I believe that MIDI technology (and therefore useful MIDI playing technology) has been around much longer...
Thanks. I've done that, and it seems like these programs must do so internally. But when you want to add a repeat, or drop the tempo 10bpm, it is so nice to be able to skip that step. Also, I'm lazy.
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What is your favorite ABC player?
I just discovered that VLC media player will play ABC files (at least in Debian Linux) but it sounds lousy and chokes on chords. A python script called abctool handles chords and sounds good, but it lacks pause and other nice features.
Practicing along with ABCs provides flexibility, a clean sound and easy to set tempo. But a better player would be nice.
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Do many duets come to CIAW? How well would a duet fit in and benefit from the classes?
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Welcome to the forum and welcome to the fun.
I started with a Jackie and Martyn's YT lessons. It is a great beginning. You'll do fine.
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are you saying that you changed the angle of the handrests so as to be parallel to the keyboard ?
Yes. That works better for me. Then the Beaumont came that way, and I'm happy with that too.
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- it seems that quite minor adjustments to hand-rests can make a huge difference to comfort and playability.
I found the same. I Wickified my Elise, (removed the handrest slope), and moved the handrests down (toward my feet). This improved playability for me, particularly when standing.
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I've seen a video of someone who played, while sitting, with the concertina ends strapped to their legs. So their legs worked the bellows, while their fingers worked the buttons.
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I don't think that sticking to any "rigid" finger-button assingment is a way to go on the Hayden.
Agreed, but as a beginner struggling to find the right note, a default fingering helps me orient.
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Don, As I understand it, middle-finger-root just refers to the RHS.
It corresponds to the LHS just as you finger it.
On the RHS I finger:
C - M
D - R
E - P
F - I
G - M
A - R
B - P
C - M
This style labors the pinky while idling the index finger.
There are some great older threads concerning the relative merits of Hayden fingering styles.
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Regards fingering I favour "flexible fingering"; and will state catagoricly that there is no "correct fingering" for the Hayden system concertina! My little fingers I use very flexibly on the RHS for the leading notes, and for chromatic decorations, and usually find that I am using ti IV (up) do I, re II, fa III, which fits the RH very comfortably, but might also use do II, & re III, then mi IV, up to Fa I, So II, La III.
On the LHS I use my little finger almost entirely for Bass notes around an octave below my other fingers which may be playing counter melody or chords. I have trained it to go right across even under Left I.
Inventor.---
So there is no "wrong" way.
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I play with a middle-finger-root fingering which nicely engages the index finger on the left, but gives all that work to the pinky on the right. So if I had to choose, I'd take a mirror on the right side.
Also, the Elise can play quietly and I've heard that it is good practice to do so.
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Thanks Matthew. Don't need the air-hole mod, but bushing would be wonderful.
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What is involved in a Bob Tedrow upgrade of an Elise?
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Everything Geoff said, plus I'd take a short ride up to The Button Box and try a Beaumont. The action is so responsive it makes the Elise feel like a work-out.
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Button travel is being discussed in this thread:
http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16545&do=findComment&comment=157086
Excess pad lift seems not to be useful. I have a Beaumont, and while I have not measured anything, it feels like it has less button travel than the Elise and that seem to improve the action greatly.
1) Don't know.
2) I don't see any reason that it is absolutely necessary to fully depress the button, but do you really need one more thing to think about? I just try not to mash them so hard that they clack when they bottom out.
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Thank you Geoff. Still plenty of beginner's warts in there, but if I hold off posting until I'm happy with it, I never get anything posted.
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Welcome fellow Elise owner.
I only ever use the air button when I pick it up to let a little air in to start, and when I'm done, to let the air out before putting it down.
Getting accustomed to the hand straps is a rite of passage. I had a terrible time. I played with my thumbs through the loops above the palm rests for awhile. Take heart, it gets comfortable ... eventually.
A neck cord can be tied off to each hand strap (Wim's recommendation). It can also be looped around each end of the concertina. I liked the second better, but found it unnecessary after a while.
Search these fora for hayden, lots of good info and links here.
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Thank you Jim and everyone for all your efforts.
TOTM is very important to me. I"m just beginning to learn concertina and TOTM is a big part of my education.
I voted for "All of me" not appreciating how ambitious that was, but since tona's contribution I'm hooked on "Girl in Clover". What a great forum.
In the second poll question I selected "I don't have the time", but really "I don't have the ability". Yet.
Each month I dive into the current TOTM with the goal of having a presentable contribution by months end. Mostly I don't make it. But....
Next month for sure!
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Inspired by Don Taylor's overlapped Peacock layout ( http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16940&view=findpost&p=160872 ):
Here is one for an Elise:
And a Beaumont:
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>> Valse a Mary <<
Lovely. Thank you.
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Catskills Irish Arts Week
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
Thanks for the invitation, but too bold for me I'm afraid. One axe to work on is more than enough.